*Flashback*"You're late."I hear him say as I make my way into his office. I stop in my tracks because his tone is that threatening. He doesn't even bother to look up from his laptop and that hardly surprises me. I'm late because I didn't want to come, I'd decided against it. But also because I wasn't necessarily given any instructions other than the fact that I would be starting on Monday.'I've got things to do Ms. Sinclair, I will see you on Monday. Goodbye.' Were the exact words he'd used to dismiss me.That wasn't the reason I'd decided against it though, Something about this man just screams 'run away!'. Something about being in his presence tells me I'm going to regret it. That I might be sending myself into a wormhole and will never make it out.But I don't have much of a choice now do I? I guess I'm screwed either way, but at least this way I'll have a job."Sorry, Sir,"I finally say then roll my eyes but of course he chooses to raise his head right at that moment. I bow
*Flashback*"What's wrong?"I ask as I watch him and his team frantically walk around his office in hassle.Two of the men are scrunched up on his desk seemingly plotting something. His secretary is historically typing on a laptop as if her life depended on it. And he's on his phone, he's standing facing the window with his hand in his pocket. He's holding on to his phone so tightly you can see the sharp knuckles on his fingers. The arms of his T-shirt are folded up to his elbows and I frown slightly because I've never seen him so... un-neat. But that's not the weird thing.The weird thing is that he's still got yesterday's clothes on, indicating he hasn't yet gone home. Because if he had, he would've no doubt freshened up. He would've put on a lighter T-shirt shade because it's Wednesday today, I already know he's feeling unorganized just by that alone. And judging by the mess in his office and the fact that none of them seem to have had a clothing change, they've all been here the
*Flashback*"Hey... I know you don't do sympathy. At all. But I couldn't leave without telling you this."He playfully cringes and I roll my eyes at him. Then I continue,"This summer has been great with you... I mean shadowing you in your workspace. I know I was reluctant at first but I'm beyond grateful for this opportunity and I'm happy to have been the one you chose."He could've simply gone with literally anyone else but he chose the girl who was rude to him."And also, you weren't entirely as horrible as I thought you were going to be" I finish with a dramatic eye roll.Today is my last day because schools are reopening on Monday. We're at his house because he had a couple of zoom meetings that he usually prefers to do there.He surprised me with a McDonald's meal because he knows it's my favorite. I was especially thankful because I know he doesn't like it very much but he still got himself a meal too regardless.He doesn't 'do fast foods' he says."Eww are you done?"I roll m
"Hey"..."Hey"..."Thanks for doing this."She wasn't doing it for him, but she'd thought against telling him that. She wasn't a rude person. So she'd simply smiled and nodded her head before,"Mr. and Mrs. Miller, I'm ready for you."Kayla internally cringed at her legal last name she'd now hated being referred to as, but she'd tried to not let it show because again, she wasn't a rude person. So she'd instead sweetly thanked the tall man who stood opposite them with his hand on the doorknob and a smile painted on his face.'Of course they know each other. Great.' she'd thought."Thank you so much Earl for seeing us on such short notice. I know you must be very busy."Dr. Scott was one of the top in his field, getting an appointment with him was so hard that his waiting list ran down to a year."Anything for an old friend," he'd said with a smile as he escorted Kayla to have a seat and Aaron followed shortly behind."How are the kids?"'Is this even allowed? Isn't there some kind of a
She was doing great. The best she'd ever been. Her whole life she'd always felt like she'd had to answer to someone, not fully living for herself. It was never about her, it was always about making someone else happy. That was not the case anymore.Although Kayla loved her mother dearly, she'd always felt the older woman could get a little overbearing and controlling at times. But for the most part, she was a loving mother who only wanted the best for her daughter, of course Kayla understood this. It had been hard for her to comprehend what she'd done to her for a while but she knew her mother meant well, she was only human."You're new here right?"Yes she was.Kayla had moved to a completely different town, a smaller town. Away from everyone and everything. Even though she'd finally gotten over her past, it didn't mean her past got over her.What does that mean? Well, Kayla's societal image never quite recovered since the trial. Everyone pretty much saw her as a gold-digging drama q
"Where is she?"Mrs. Sinclair was done with the man who stood facing her. He'd brought her family nothing but misery and she'd hoped to never see him again.She didn't know where her daughter was but she knew the man standing in front of her had something to do with it."I swear to God Aaron. I will take you out of this world with my own bare hands."She'd meant every word. She was no murderer but she was ready to be one for her daughter. She would spend the rest of her life in prison but that didn't matter to her, her daughter did.She was livid. It had been two whole days since the younger girl had gone to see a psychologist with the man and she'd never made it back home.She'd been against the younger girl doing the sessions in fear that she might change her mind about divorcing him, but she'd known they were necessary for the divorce proceedings.But when she didn't make it back home that day, she'd figured he'd done it again, taken her from her.She'd been heartbroken at the thou
*Flashback*'I'm pregnant.'The words had cut like a dagger.They were the exact words she'd wished more than anything she could say to him but she was never able to. Being a mother was a privilege she simply was not blessed with.She'd remembered the things she'd had to go through just to give him the one thing he'd wanted more than anything, a child. She'd even ended up sleeping with someone else in hopes she would be able to bear a child but of course that ended in a divorce that broke her heart to the core.Yes she'd cheated on the love of her life but it was for their marriage. It was so she could give him a child. She'd seen the sadness in his eyes every time the tests would come back negative and she'd wanted more than anything to make him happy.'Kayla, that is so exciting,'It was. For her.She'd always imagined how happy they'd be at the news, how he would look at her with so much passion knowing she'd given him his dream. He would love their beautiful offspring and life wo
Kayla couldn't help her attraction to older men, it was just innate. She'd also never thought she'd ever be able to look at another man again as her husband was the only man she'd ever craved. But she'd now been separated from the man for well over three months and she'd admittedly been craving a man's touch.She'd planned to wait when it came to relationships as she wasn't ready yet and she was technically still married but surely she could do other things right? She was sure Aaron had already started seeing other people at that point. It had been months. Plus the man was practically obsessed with making love, he wouldn't survive."Hi Kayla... are you there?"Her trance was disturbed by the older, sweet lady she'd come to love waving her hand on her face."Yeah sorry, I'm. uh - Kayla." She'd said to the man who stood next to her employer.She didn't know how much she needed to get laid until that moment. Lixon Falls had attractive men but she'd admittedly never found herself awestruc
To truly understand someone, you have to go back to their past, what they'd been through.I, just like the majority of humanity have been taught that one can either be good or bad. That it can either be black or white, yes or no. But I think that's not true.I think that people do really bad stuff sometimes, but that doesn't necessarily make them bad people. It just makes them well... human.I also think that mental illness is a part of it. When you've been hurt so much, you start to expect it. And when you've hurt people so much, they start to expect that from you - so you give them what they expect.Of course that's not the 'mental illness' portion of it. I just think that our minds are really fucked up.It's been a year.The 'Aaron Miller Massacre' news took the world by storm. There wasn't a news channel that didn't cover the story, nor a person who didn't speak of it.When I'd heard about what had actually happened, I was shaken beyond words. Literally.See after they'd removed h
'My dearest Kayla,If you're reading this it's because I'm either serving life in prison or my life has been taken from me.I know I haven't been the greatest partner and I'm sorry that I'll never get a chance to make it up to you. You were right, I should've put you first. You were the most important person to me and I should've shown it.I'm writing this with so much sorrow in my heart because I've been utterly betrayed, by the people I'd thought had my back. Because of that, I've had to do some things you wouldn't be very proud of, things that have either gotten me in trouble with the law or got me killed. But I would've done that and more to make sure you're safe.I put my trust in people I thought were my family when I should've considered you family to start with. You were the only person who truly cared about me, you were the only one who loved me. I'm so sorry I didn't realize that sooner my love.It's too late now but for what it's worth, I wish for you to know that I was wor
"Oh don't act all mighty, you never liked her. You just acted like you did so he doesn't get rid of you.""Excuse me? We were friends. She trusted me.""Oh yeah but I bet you wanted to take her place so bad, didn't you? She was a constant and painful reminder that you lost it all. That he was finally over you and you would never get that perfect life back. You cheated on him and you wish you could take it back.""Shut up! Shut the hell up, you don't know what you're saying."Britney heard herself shouting at the girl who stood in front of her. She was not one to lose her cool but she hated how the girl always ensued the worst out of her.Yes she'd always regretted cheating on Aaron but she'd long gotten over that. It was a long time ago, he'd since gotten married plenty of times."I gave up on any kind of future with him when he'd gotten married the first time. You're just looking for drama where it doesn't exist.""Oh but does it not? Sweet little Britney... Everyone's best friend. I
"What did you do?"He felt his heart beating a mile a minute. Somehow he knew what he'd done but he'd hoped otherwise."Boss, you know this was for the best. It needed to happen."He had to be dreaming, there was no way it was real."Mike...""They've done nothing but cause you pain and heartache...""Mike... no..."He was not one to cry but the tears had taken on their own life because they'd started pouring out without his permission.Words failed him as he looked at the man he'd trusted with his own life."Get them to talk, that's all I said."He'd heard himself say barely audible. His chest was weighing heavy on his heart, he couldn't breathe."I'm not the enemy here boss. They've done nothing but...""That doesn't mean they deserve to die!" His calm betrayed him, he felt himself shake as the words left his lips.Who was he to decide their fate? That was exactly the reason he'd always kept a distance when it came to the people who'd worked for him, he'd always remained stern becau
"Gosh, I love it here."It was the lake, the trees, the breeze. But it was mostly the fact that they were alone that made her love it so much. It was peaceful."Yea."Kayla agreed as she closed her eyes feeling the wind blow against her skin softly. She'd missed such simple things in life."So...""So...""How's everything going with you-know-who? I've barely seen you the past couple of days."Elisa asked ensuing a blush from the other girl.Their friendship had transcended through the weeks and they'd somehow become closer each day."Well, nothing's official yet. I like him but I'm taking things really slow. I don't wanna jump into anything too quickly y'know?"The truth was that she was afraid. She'd done the whole falling in love thing and it didn't quite work out for her."It's been months Kay, the man clearly likes you."It was true and she knew it.He'd planned to stay for the Christmas holidays but decided he'd stay around a bit longer to help out his mother. Kayla knew he'd pa
*Flashback*"What do they have on her?""Uhm... Mr. Miller. Maybe let's not get too focused on the details. It...""What do they have on her?!!"They knew he was the wrong person to play that game with. He'd always preferred people to be straight up with him, no beating around the bush."Uh...""Talk Brandon! Use your words!""Fingerprints! They found her fingerprints on the door handle."Aaron felt his world shatter as the words of the man who stood in front of him registered. It can't have been, his ears must've been playing tricks on him."They think it was when she went inside to take her belongings after the accident. They claim she didn't want her to be found so she Jane Doe'd her.""Sir, they're making it look like she wanted to kill her because of jealousy. It would be a miracle if we won the case...""Shut up! Shut the hell up!"He knew that and he needn't have said it. They'd had so much evidence against them and there was no way the verdict was going to go in their favor.
He didn't care anymore, he didn't want to know who exactly was at fault. The simple fact that they'd even thought to harm his wife and his little boy who was now in heaven was reason enough. Aaron had never felt so much rage in his life. The people whom he would've given anything for, the people he'd thought cared for him, how could they?"Aaron please...""Aaron no.""Aaron!"He'd ignored their cries. He was tired and his heart hurt so much it felt numb."Do it."He'd simply said to his ally then turned around to leave ignoring their cries getting louder.----"She's having a baby.""What?""I said!! She's having a baby! She's damn pregnant!""Shit... that means.""Everything will be ruined. Yes!"That had been the worst thing that could have ever happened. It was bad enough that the man had changed so much because of his wife, now she was pregnant. They knew that would change everything.They never had to worry about much before as they knew the man didn't have a biological child th
*Flashback*Third time wasn't the charm so the fourth time had to be right? Well that was what he'd told himself. He was never one to give up so he wasn't going to do that. He was going to keep trying.Besides, Sandra was great. She was nothing like the others. She was confident, she knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go for it. She was sassy and took no nonsense. He'd be lying if he'd said he hadn't found that attractive. Not to mention she was easy on the eye too.She'd had striking features that made you do a double take. When she walked into a room people stopped what they were doing to simply admire her beauty and the way she walked like the world was her platform. He couldn't help but feel attracted to her energy, her aura. She was the kind of woman you'd want to have by your side.So,"How hasn't anyone swept you off your feet?"They'd been sitting having dinner at a very fine restaurant she'd strongly recommended. He would've taken her anywhere. It was beyond him how s
"How old were you?""16 when I met him but we didn't do anything until I was 18.""Did he Uhm... force y...""No no, not at all. If anything I practically begged him." She'd said remembering the day like it was yesterday.'Please. I can't take it anymore. Please Aaron.' She'd practically cried. She knew he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. She couldn't take the waiting anymore, the sexual tension drove her mad.It had taken him a while but eventually, he'd given in."Oh. How old was he?""He was 35 when we met."The questions were getting a bit too judgmental but she'd understood why he was asking them. She probably would've too.Their relationship had been frowned upon pretty much since they'd met and at some point, they'd gotten used to it, It didn't phase them anymore.And as much as Kayla was over her soon-to-be ex-husband, she never wanted anyone to think he forced her into anything. The relationship was consensual on both sides. He never took advantage of her."But was